Sweet Pulao.

Sweet Pulao......... This dish transports me back to many years. Why because I relate this pulao to weddings!! As a child I remember getting excited on knowing there would be a wedding round the corner. Simply because I knew I would get to eat the sweet pulao along with the sweet chutney. Once upon a time, this rice dish was a must on the menu in mangalorean catholic weddings. Now it seems to have disappeared, making way for biryanis, fried rice and other rice preparations. Also it has become common for us to now prepare it in our homes. Maybe because cashew nuts, kismis and basmati rice are now affordable to the common man.

         The sweet pulao is prepared by me on a regular basis on Sundays. The kids love it!!! However, I do not prepare the sweet chutney, but we have it with any meat curry!! I prepare it in a non stick deep bottomed vessel and not in a pressure cooker.

Ingredients :-

1.  1 cup Basmati Rice
2. 50 gms Kismis
3. 50 gms cashew nuts
4. 2 onions sliced fine
5. 4 cloves
6. 2 inch piece cinnamon
7. 2 cardamom
8. 2 bay leaves
9. 4 tbsps ghee
10. salt and sugar to taste
11. 2 cups hot water

Method :-

• Heat ghee in the vessel. Add spices and bay leaf. When the spices splutter add kismis and cashew nuts and fry.
• Then add the rice and fry well.
• When done add the hot water along with salt and sugar. Cook till all the water has evaporated and rice is cooked.
• In a pan fry the sliced onions till dark brown. Be careful not to burn them. 
• Garnish the sweet pulao with the fried onions and serve hot with a meat gravy of your choice!!!

Pictured  along with the sweet pulao are lamb green curry and cucumber raita!!!!